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28DL Full Member

The Park-Monument of the Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship was built in 1974, to celebrate the might of the Soviet forces; Russia first came to the rescue of Bulgaria back in the mid-nineteenth century, during the Russian-Ottoman war. Then later, following Hitler's demise, Russia once again offered Bulgaria the hand of friendship. This colossal monument in one of Bulgaria's largest cities was constructed over a period of four years by a team of 27,000 volunteer workers.

The site was built to house a conference hall, a museum, a bookshop and served as a Soviet propaganda centre. In its heyday the monolith would have been visible even by ships out in the Black Sea, with 180 floodlights positioned around it in the park. Speakers surrounding the monument played Symphony № 7 by the Russian composer Shostakovich on constant repeat throughout the night.

The monument itself stands 23 metres tall and 48 across, and on its two 'wings' are depicted a group of Soviet soldiers coming to the rescue of three Bulgarian women.

It's pitch black inside, with a surprising number of corridors and stairwells. At one point I found a staircase leading up onto the roof of the building, and later another one took me right down into the ground, beneath the monument itself. Here I was able to have a good look around the Soviet propaganda centre and bookshop, before discovering a steep staircase heading down to a nuclear bunker beneath.